The Nueces County Emergency Service District #2 in Flour Bluff is warning the public that their Fourth of July celebration plans could be dangerous.
The department is discouraging members of the community from purchasing their own fireworks.
Fireworks cause an average of 18,500 fires each year in the United States, and more than half of those fires happen during the 4th of July.
The Nueces County Fire Emergency Service District #2 in Flour Bluff will increase staffing during the 4th of July holiday in an effort to be prepared for a likely increase in firework related fires.
"We are going to try to prepare to have some extra crews here, and we will be manning both of our brush trucks and our engine company for the Flour Bluff area and the Island area," said Deputy Fire Chief JP Hominck.
Firefighters are urging people to stay away from high overgrown golden grass; the heat and sparks from fireworks along with dry grass is the perfect recipe for a brush fire.
"These grass fires can get out of hand real quick and spread and go to homes. We have had a lot of rain, and even though it has rained, a lot of our grass has already dried off. So the fields that look wet, the grass is still already dried, and it can still burn fast. So we are manning our vehicles, our brush trucks, and getting out there as quick as we can and get a jump on it, and maybe we can put a stop on everything and not have an all night grass fire like some of the ones we have had in the past," said Deputy Fire Chief Hominck.
These dry conditions make fireworks even more dangerous, but if you are going to be on Padre Island with fireworks, make sure you have a plan.
"If we can just remind everybody, if you are going to be on the Island popping fireworks and shooting aerial fireworks, please shoot them into the water not into the dunes, and the same thing in town, if you are going to have aerial fireworks, not to have aerial fireworks in town, period. If you are going to pop any, make sure they are ground fireworks and not aerials," said Deputy Fire Chief Hominck.
Firefighters here in Flour Bluff want to remind the people that fireworks in the city limits are illegal, and they recommend watching public fireworks displays.
